Romania had the highest increase in the total trade retail in May 2016 compared to May 2015according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, but a decrease of -1,6% in May 2016 compared to April 2016.

Also, in Luxembourg (+10 %), Estonia (+7 %), Ireland (+6,7%), the United Kingdom (+6,5%) and Poland (+6,4%) positive results were registered in May 2016 compared to the same month the previous year, while a decrease was observed in Belgium (-1%).The 1,6% increase in the volume of retail trade in the euro area in May 2016, compared with May 2015, is due to rises of 2,5% for non-food products, of 2,2% for automotive fuel and of 0,2% for “Food, drinks and tobacco”. In the EU28, the 2,8% increase in retail trade volume is due to rises of 3,8% for non-food products, of 3,7% for automotive fuel and of 1,3% for “Food, drinks and tobacco”.

The volume of retail trade was up by 0,4% in both euro area and EU28 in May 2016 compared with April 2016. In April the retail trade volume increased by 0,2% in the euro area and by 0,6% in the EU28.

The 0,4% increase in the volume of retail trade in the euro area in May 2016, compared with the previous month, is due to a rise of 0,7% for non-food products, while “Food, drinks and tobacco” and automotive fuel remained stable. In the EU28, the 0,4% increase in the volume of retail trade is due to rises of 0,6% for non-food products and of 0,4% for “Food, drinks and tobacco”, while automotive fuel remained stable.

The highest increases in total retail trade were registered in Sweden (+2,1%), Estonia (+1,5%) and Ireland (+1,3%), while the largest decreases were observed in Portugal (-1,7%), Romania (-1,6%) and Denmark (-1,1%).